ABOUT

Concept:
Aotearoa, New Zealand, is striving to weave traditional Māori values and customs into modern life. We embarked on a mission to craft a project that celebrates and honours Matariki, the Māori New Year, for the people of Aotearoa.

Matariki heralds the dawn of the new year with the rise of the Matariki star cluster, otherwise known as Pleiades. Matariki is a time of gathering, sharing, and gratitude—a time to reconnect with each other and our environment, celebrating the essence of Aotearoa. Our challenge was to inspire and empower the culturally diverse people of Aotearoa to embrace Matariki and reconnect with the environment, and Atua.

Execution:
Using Augmented Reality, Matariki Hunga Nui creates an immersive learning platform, introducing users to the celestial navigation tool, Te Waka o Rangi. Through this innovative experience, individuals learn to locate the Matariki star cluster in the dawn sky, fostering a deeper connection to the celestial realm.

At the heart of our project lies the whakataukī (proverb), ‘Matariki hunga, Matariki hunga nui’—“Matariki has many admirers, Matariki brings people together.” Guided by this whakataukī, we seek to unite people under the stars of Matariki, which inspired the name of the project, ‘Matariki Hunga Nui’.

Results:
Matariki Hunga Nui fosters whanaungatanga (togetherness) by cultivating a deep reverence for Matariki, encouraging individuals to become true admirers of the stars, and fostering meaningful connections with their loved ones.